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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. drill — the tool
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. deal — to handle
  8. perch — the fish
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. tube — a container
  11. drill — army training
  12. drill — a practice
  13. tube — the underground
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. toast — bread
  17. mark — a grade
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. mark — a trace
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. date — the fruit
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. toast — a drink to someone

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com